Felipe Contepomi believes rugby has helped Argentinian trio Pablo Matera, Guido Petti and Santiago Socino become better people as he condemned their racist tweets, made between 2011 and 2013, as "disgusting".
Last Tuesday the players were suspended by the Argentine Rugby Union for posts on social media, however, two days later the suspension was rescinded for captain Matera, 27, and his two team-mates, none of whom featured in Los Pumas 16-16 draw with Australia on Saturday.
The comments were said to be disparaging of Black people and those from other countries in South America. The players apologised for the tweets.
"The tweets were disgusting. Full stop," Contepomi, who played 87 times for Argentina, told RTÉ Sport.
"Having said that, they were eight, nine years ago. They were young boys, not even in the national team.
"It's not an excuse. They made themselves accountable for that. They put their hands up.
"Rugby is not just about playing the game, it’s a way to become a better person.
"If rugby is one of those things that helps them become a better person, because the people they are now, by what everyone says and the leadership they show and so on, it says that they have grown up much more that what they were eight or nine years ago.
"In that respect, I believe in second chances. I don’t know if the union [acted] the best.
"Sometimes it’s hard to make those decisions and sometimes too quick because they went back and forward.
"It wasn’t clear but I don’t know, I wasn’t there so I don’t know how it was dealt internally.
"But definitely, the tweets, I’m totally against.
"I would condemn every racist comment, every xenophobic comment because it’s not part of what we are, it’s not part of rugby.
"I’m glad to see that rugby played a part of their formation and I’d like to think that they are much better people than they were or what they said eight years ago."
Former England international Ugo Monye said he was frustrated at how the case was dealt with by Argentine rugby chiefs, who called the posts "imprudent and immature".
Monye said that rugby does not know how to deal with racism.
Asked if there was a bigger role for World Rugby to play in dealing with such cases, Leinster backs coach Contepomi, whose side face Montpellier on Saturday in the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup, said: "I think they do a lot.
"There’s no place for racism in rugby and if you go back to the days of apartheid and [look at] how South Africa has been introduced [back into the international fold].
"World Rugby is playing their part. I don’t know if you mean a campaign or so on.
"I don’t hear racist comments every day from players. We live in a very healthy sport environment where no one accepts racism, xenophobic comments or anything like that.
"It’s not acceptable. Full Stop.
"And it’s not only [up to] World Rugby. It starts in your own square metre.
"Anyone in rugby shouldn’t be accepting [racism] and should be fighting [against it] if there is something around his local community, he shouldn’t accept those things at all."
Follow Montpellier v Leinster (kick-off 5.30pm) with our live blog on rte.ie/sport or listen to live commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1.
